Some New Gadgets

I found a couple new gadgets (at least new to me) while surfing this weekend.

For the cook in the house, these "foodloops" look pretty interesting. Tying up food with twine is always such a hassle. These look silicone based like the baking mats and hot pads now available.

For the readers, you know it's difficult to read a book with one hand -- especially a paperback. This ThumbThing is a great, simple idea to keep a book wide open with one hand.

For the builder who aspires to be the next American Idol, this Edison style phonograph kit is pretty neat. You record your voice on plastic cups. I know, it's easier to use the microphone built into your computer.

And for all you snowboarders, I'm sure this will be on your list for the summer months.

Instant Hair Removal

Dianne has been growing her hair for years. It was getting long -- just past her shoulder blades. I thought it was great! However, the long hair was driving her nuts. The split ends, the tangles (especially after riding her motorcycle), and the extra work to wash and dry was not making her happy. I knew the increasing frequency of complaints about the long hair signaled it wasn't going to last much longer. Alas, today was the day.

I looked around the web for short hairstyles I thought would be good. We narrowed it down to four options and took them to the salon this morning. We went to the Identity Salon & Spa in Kenwood. The stylist bundled her hair and snipped it short so it could be donated. Here is the style she ended up with. It's a quick picture I took with the camera phone when we had brunch at First Watch after her appointment. I think it looks nice and will be much more manageable, but it's going to take me a few days to get used to the missing pony tail. You can click on the photo to get a bigger view and also click here to see a side view of the new doo. Wow it is short in the back!

New TV and Old TV

One of the new shows I've been sucked into is Bravo's Top Chef. Michael has a really nice summary of the show on his blog called the Neverending Rainbow. In short, it's a cooking competition/elimination show. The cooking, the personalities, and the influence of their backgrounds or events happening in their lives all make the show interesting. Because I like cooking, I enjoy this series more than the Project Runway fashion challenges. I'm cheering for Miguel, Harold, Tiffani, and Lee Anne. They all come across as strong chefs. From what I've seen so far, Miguel also has a great attitude and tries to have fun with the challenges. I think Stephan is also strong, but his arrogant attitude is too much for me. How many times can he use sommelier in a sentence?

If new TV doesn't have what you're looking for, I just heard that AOL has implemented their deal with Warner to have old television series available on broadband. Here is their website if you want to check out the offerings. I haven't tried it yet -- I'd be curious to hear comments on the service. Personally, I don't know who would want to watch old episodes of the Adventures of Brisco County Jr. or Pinky and the Brain. But an old F Troop now and then wouldn't be too bad. There were some funny moments around Fort Courage. I could see my Dad watching episodes of the F.B.I.

Blog Slug

I have been a blog slug. I had a business trip to upstate New York in mid-January. The day I arrived, the temperature was around freezing. There had been some freezing rain which delayed the arrival of my flight. I drove from the airport to the hotel and the road seemed fine. I parked and opened the door and when I stood up to get out of the car, I slipped and fell. Dianne has a nice picture of the event on her blog. Although the roads were fine, the parking lot was a sheet of ice. I came down hard on my shoulder, and it turned out that I cracked my humerus. That was about nine weeks ago, so the bone should be healed. However, my range of motion in the shoulder is far from normal and I can't lift anything. I've been in physical therapy for about two and half weeks and that has helped, but I have a long way to go. It's amazing how a little tumble can really set you back. Trying to keep up with work and teaching on one arm has been a struggle. Dianne has been taking care of me and taking care of most everything around the house! What a saint!